This course offers students an introduction to the concepts, tools, and techniques of digital humanities, as well as a broader engagement with the intersections between new technologies and society.

During the term, students will have the opportunity to engage:

> Tools and techniques for analyzing source materials, assessing problems, and communicating results common to those working in the discipline of the humanities,

> Major computing tools (software, hardware, and peripherals) and techniques used by those working in the digital humanities, focusing on their broad application across the discipline of the humanities,

> Electronic research methods and approaches to critical thinking required to find and evaluate electronic sources,

> Methods of analyzing humanities research problems in terms of appropriate computing solutions, with an awareness of the potential limitations and benefits of a particular situation,

> Collaborative research in fields of the humanities that have traditionally promoted individual research, and

> The social, ethical, legal, and philosophical implications of computing and technology.

It is important to note that, while the course will introduce students to tools, techniques, and skills, HUMA 150 is an academic course, not a “skills” course. Students are expected to have basic writing and reasoning skills—including a working knowledge of standard word processing and Internet applications—such that assignments can be written, argued, and presented effectively.